Chusetts



Patented Dec. 17'. lsol. L. c. ncnEAL.

No. 689,2I2.

FILE. (Application led A pr. 3, 1599.j

(lo Iodal.)

` ,l IN EN oh AwTNE'ssEs:

ATTORNEY?)` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER C. MCNEAL, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR .TO vLIBRARY BUREAU OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

FILE'.

SPECIFICATION forming' part 0f Letters Patent No. 689,212, dated December 17, 1901.

Original application filedk October 27, 1896, Serial No. 610,192. Divided and this application filed April l 1899. Serial l No. 711,474. (No model.)

.Z'o all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER C. MCNEAL,

of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, in the State of New York, (whose post-oiiice ads dress is No. 26 Exchange street, Rochester,

no a le, as hereinafter fully described, and

. pointed out in the claims. i

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which like letters 2 5 indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a top plan, partly in section, of my improved file, the movable locking member being shown in its operative position. Fig. 2 is a vertical lsectional view taken on 3o line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig; Sis a top plan view, partly in section, of a modified construction of my invention.

My improved le consists, essentially, of a frame or card-holder A, a movable locking 3 5 member B, and means for actuating said locking member. The `frame orcard-holder A is of any desirable form, size, and construction, and is usually substantially rectangular in cross-section. f

The locking member B serves to lock within the frame or card-holder the cards or other articles to be iiledtherein. Thislocking member in the form herein shown comprises two bars movable toward each other and from a 5 each other, adapted to engage shouldered notches or holding portions of the cards or other articles. This locking member preferably consists of substantially parallel bars b b',

supported by the frame or card-holder A in any desired manner, permitting longitudinal and lateral movement thereof.

In the construction of my invention (illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2) the front ends of said bars are formed with.forwardlyrdiverging portions b2 b3, having upturned arms b4, and their rear ends are formed with similarly diverging portions b5 h6, movable in inclined guides or bearings ct, provided upon the base of the frame or cardholder. It is obvious, however, that the movable locking member of my file may be supported in anyother suitable manner, and in Fig. 3 I have shown a slightly-modified construction of my invention provided with a locking member B10, consistingr of parallel bars blo h, having their opposite ends hinged to the front ends of rearwardly-diverging links 512, pivoted at their rear ends to the base of the frame or card-.holder A10. l

The cards or other articles (not illustrated) to be arranged in my improved file are preferably provided with oppositely-arrangedlocking-shoulders, formed by apertures ex" tending upwardly from their lower edges and having enlarged upper ends. When said cards or other articles are being arranged in my improved Iile, the locking member presents a less eiective width and readily enters between said locking-shoulders, and whenI the cards or other articles are suitably arranged the locking member presents a greater eiective width and ytirml y engages said shoul ders and locks thercards or articles in posilongitudinally beneath the locking member.

The'actuating-piece B3 is generally journaled in an upright plane in the follower B at the rear of the fastening member B2 and is pro-` ber of my improved file preferably consists of .vas

a movable operating member C and a spring C". Said operating member Gis here illustrated as consisting of a Vplunger guided through the front wall of the frame or cardholder A and having its front end provided with a handpiece c and its rear end formed with rearwardly-diverging slots, bearings, or guides c' for receiving the upturned arms b4 of the bars b b. The spriugC' is usually attached to the front wall of the frame or cardholder A and serves to hold the operating member C in its position assumed when the locking member presents its greater effective width. 'lhe means for actuating the locking member may, however` be of any other suitable coustruction, and in Fig. 3 I have shown an actuating.,r means for said locking member consisting of a reciprocating operating member C10, a spring C, and a catch C12 for holding the operating` member in its position assumed when the locking member present-sits less effective width. Said operating member CI0 is shown as reciprocally movable through the front Vwall of thelframe or cardholder A and as provided atfits front end with an engaging portion and at its rear end with rearwardly-diverging faces constituting guides or bearings engaged with the front ends of the bars blo bu. The spring C is usually fixed to the base of the frame or cardholder Aw, is provided with opposite branches or arms suitably connected to the rear links b1, and serves to normally force the bars b1 b11 away from each other and cause the locking member to assume its position of greater effective width. The catch C12 is generally is in its inoperative position.

pivoted to the base of the frame or car holder A10 and is movable into engagement with the operating member C10` for preventing movement thereof when the locking member The construction andfoperation of my'improved le will now be readily understood upon reference lto the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and as it is obvious that the detail construction and arrangement of the component parts of said file may be more or less varied without departing from the spirit of my invention I do not herein limitmyself to such exact detail construction and arrangement.

As already pointed out, the locking meml ber preferably consists of two bars movable toward each other and from each other, andA it will be noted. that in the embodiments of my invention herein shown the said two members arev operated by the wedging action of a longitudinally-movable wedging device, said device being the cam-plate or slotted plunger C in Fig. l and the reciprocating member C10 in Fig. 3, and in each instancea spring mechanism acts in opposition to the wedging device for holding the locking-.bars in one of their two positions, Fig. l showing said spring at C' and Fig. 3 showing the spring mechanism at C11. I prefer to have the spring mechanism hold the bars in their expanded position away from each other and depend upon the wedging device for moving the bars toward each other, although, as already stated, I do not limit my invention to the details of construction and operation shown, and it is obvious that other forms of wedging mechanism may be employed, provided the required movementl is obtained within the scope of my invention and of certain of the appendedy 2. In acard-,holder, a locking member comprising two bars movable toward and from each other, and a spring device normally hold.-

*ing said bars spread apart.

3. In a card-holder, a locking member for the cards comprising two bars movable toward and from each other, and inclined bearings for one end of said two bars, one for each bar, and means for movingsaid inclined bearings longitudinally of said bars for causing the same to expand or contract.

4. In a card-holder, a locking member for the cards comprising two bars movable toward and from each other, and inclined bearings for one end ot' said two bars, said inclined bearings being provided on the inner end of an operating member projecting through the front of the holder, whereby the movement of said operating member causes the ends of the bars engaging said inclined bearings to nmove toward or from each other.

5. In a card-holder, a lock-rod comprising a plurality of members movable toward and from each other, said members having por- IOO I Os

tions thereof extending obliquelyto the genb eral lengthot' the members, stationary bearings for said oblique portions, and means for moving said members longitudinally.

6.` In a card-holder, a lock-rod comprising a plurality of members movable toward and from each other, said members having portions thereof extending obliquely to the general length of the members, stationary bearings for said oblique portions, and a device having at its rear end opposite parts slidingly connected to said members respectively, and

at its Vforward end means for moving said In testimony whereof I have hereunto members longitudinally. signed my name, in the presence of two attest- '7. In a card-holder, means for looking the ingwtnesses, at `Roehestergvin the county of cards, comprising two bars movable toward Monroe, in the State of New York, this 25th 5 esula? other ag froli eachdother, af longitndiday of February, 18799. na y mova e we gingY evlce or movmg 1 l saidbarsinto oneof' said positions, andspring LUTHER C' MCNEAL' mechanism acting in opposition to said wedg- Witnesses: ing device for holding saidbars in the other Y HAMPDEN HYDE,v 1o of said positions. y i ARTHUR E. PARSONS.` y 

